As founder and principal designer of Blue Sapphire Events, my passion is creating bespoke weddings that are perfectly designed and executed to my couple's unique visions. I’ve been in the event and hospitality management industry pretty much my entire life. In fact, it was actually as a banquet server while studying business at James Madison University (JMU) that I stumbled upon my calling of creating events that perfectly reflect the people they honor.
Before opening Blue Sapphire Events, I planned events for a wide variety of Washington, D.C. organizations ranging from private clubs to Fortune 500 companies. In these roles, I was responsible for budgets ranging from thousands to millions. I led large planning teams to put on galas and ceremonies attended by leading political figures. Through these experiences, I gained vast knowledge of the Washington, DC event scene and became an expert at building events from the ground up.
While I have wide experience in the event world, wedding planning is my true passion. I love creating experiences people will remember for the rest of their lives. In so many careers, people never get to enjoy the outcome of their efforts - with wedding planning, I get the satisfaction of managing the entire process from the initial stages to final delivery.
the finance-savvy wedding planner for DC couples
i'm kolena
Welcome
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An interior designer. Since purchasing a 1940s Cape Cod, I have become obsessed with home renovation projects. We have ALMOST fully renovated our entire house at this point, but the process is incredibly addicting. I love transforming spaces and bringing this older home back to life.
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If you weren’t a wedding planner what would you be?
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Thanksgiving. I absolutely love hosting Thanksgiving dinner and putting together the menu and tablescape. I love that it’s a holiday focused on family and what we are thankful for.
Q2:
If you had to pick your favorite holiday, what would it be?
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I grew up in a rural area where it was not uncommon to find stray animals. A cat started coming by the house, and one day I followed it into the woods and discovered four kittens! I brought the kittens home and raised them until they were old enough to be adopted. We kept the stray mother cat and two kittens, and our neighbor adopted the two other kittens.
Q3:
What’s your favorite childhood memory?
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That's a tough one! My husband and I love to travel. We recently took a two-week vacation traveling the wine regions of Germany, and it was incredible. We visited countless castles and, of course, enjoyed some incredible wine. We love going off the beaten tourist track and really experiencing the local culture.
Q4:
What's your favorite vacation spot?
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I am originally from a very small town called Windsor, New York. It’s located outside of Binghamton, New York about three hours outside of New York City.
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Where did you grow up?
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back to the beginning >
I named Blue Sapphire Events after my custom engagement ring. I'm passionate about creating hand-tailored weddings for one-of-a-kind couples, delivering an experience that is both richly beautiful and crystal clear when it comes down to the numbers.
The Vision Behind the Name
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Exactly what you needed, right?
The time leading up to your wedding should be one of joyful anticipation, not logistical stress. At Blue Sapphire Events, we eliminate stress by establishing a realistic budget upfront and then we guide our clients through the entire planning process with a streamlined project management approach. We take all the logistical complexities of wedding planning off your plate so you can focus on the fun parts.
We want our couples to relax and enjoy their celebration as guests of honor.
We design bespoke weddings with a logistics first approach
Let's be clear: You are our priority.
My husband and I booked Blue Sapphire Event's custom planning service around 10 months prior to our wedding. We can not give enough high praise for BSE's efforts in helping us plan an amazing wedding. From start to finish, Kolena provided invaluable expertise. She remained professional and understanding throughout the hectic planning process. Our wedding venue debuted its property on our wedding day, which meant a lot of extra work figuring out logistics. Kolena rose to the challenge! Always quick to respond, Kolena knew how to field all of our requests and questions in an efficient manner. In the days leading up to our wedding, we felt so reassured that we were in the best hands with the BSE team. The execution of the vision during our wedding was even better than we could have imagined or asked for. We enthusiastically recommend BSE's services!
- Jordan & Eddie
"From start to finish, Kolena provided invaluable expertise.
